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Publications & Reports

Bleek explores the likelihood of a general war in Europe, stating that England is unlikely to involve itself without sufficient cause. He submits that even with the aid of other Scandinavian powers, Germany's larger population will always grant them military superiority. When exemplifying Salic law, he explains that the ducal Augustenburg line is equally as entitled to Schleswig-Holstein (claimed by Frederick in 1863) as the Duke of Cumberland is to the kingdom of Hanover. The duchies fought over were Schleswig, Holstein, and Lauenburg. The Germans of Schleswig and Holstein preferred the Augustenburgs to the more Danish Glücksburg branch. The November Constitution of 1863 tied Schleswig closer to Denmark, which the Germans see as violating the London Protocol of 1852. He considers the Danish-German war a German plaything which conveniently illustrates their superior resources (e.g. iron, coal, and personnel) and firearms like the "Zündnadelgewehr" or needle gun. Bleek draws loose comparisons between German unification efforts and the need for South African colonies to unify in a similar federalist system and achieve meaningful representation in the "great parliament" of the Supreme Government (of the British Empire).

Printed newsprint glued on paper

04/08/1864

Two cut out columns of newsprint text, positioned vertically parallel, pasted onto a plus-sized A4 unlined sheet with visible warping. No title was subsequently handwritten onto the mount/paper backing.

An original cutting of a Victorian article (no thematic title included in the cut out) by WHI Bleek. Published in Het Volksblad on Thursday, August 4th, 1864. Here and elsewhere (e.g. when he invokes the phrase "Teutonic brothers") in his contributions to Het Volksblad, Bleek remarks on England's curious lack of interest in the identity politics of their saxon homeland(s), despite the composition of its demography and Hanoverian (saxon) elite. As a north German himself, Bleek was especially interested in its political intrigue. Bleek is referring to the Second Schleswig War of 1864 (February 1st to October 30th) between the German Confederation (Prussia and Austria) and the kingdom of Denmark. "German" herein refers collectively, as an incapsulating term, to the population groups inhabiting the various member states of the German Confederation.